Always a Cop, Forever a Father
by Book 'em Again
Summary: Still reeling from the attacks of those who sought to destroy his career, Chin Ho Kelly is looking forward to a day at the zoo with his family. But when a group of radicals take them hostage, Chin must act or lose everything that he holds dear.
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: this story takes place the day after the episode "Cry, Lie" and assumes that the reader is familiar with that episode. Also, I have never been to the Honolulu Zoo and while I researched as best I could I had to take some creative liberties when I was dealing with some of the specific details about the zoo._

**Chapter One: When Will It End?**

Edited by traw

"_And tomorrow we'll go down to the zoo." _

_- _Chin Ho Kelly in "Cry, Lie."

Being a cop for twenty-two years, Chin Ho Kelly had seen more than his fair share of paperwork but perhaps for the first time in those many years Chin was happy to be filling it out, even on a beautiful Saturday like today. Just last night Chin was looking at the very real possibility of losing his job and going to jail. The frame had been good; Chin wasn't sure how Steve got Eddie Calhao to confess and Steve was being unusually reticent but Chin was grateful to be back in the office.

Normally, the Five-O detectives didn't come in on Saturday unless they were in the midst of an active investigation. But since the unit had spent the last week working around the clock to clear Chin's name they had let all the non-essential stuff slide. So all four detectives had come in early to play catch up and welcome Chin back into their fold.

As Chin signed the last sheet of paper he heard his co-workers joking with one another. Danny Williams was holding a large pile paperwork and it looked like he had been headed toward Steve's office but Kono Kalakaua was blocking his way.

"What's da hurry?" the large Hawaiian asked.

"I've got to pick up my girl," Danny answered.

"Who is this new wahine?"

"You'll find out."

"Come on, Romeo, give."

Danny paused for a moment before giving in. "Jane Michaels."

"Dat rich wahine you play tennis with?"

"Hey, she's got a lot more going for her than money."

"Yeah, her good looks and dat hair..."

"Try a great personality and kind heart. She can't help that she was born rich and besides she puts the money to good use with the Junior Blind."

"So she's a do-gooder."

"Kono," Danny growled.

Kono laughed. "Bruddah, you got it bad."

Chin privately chuckled as Danny sought for a way to change the subject. Noticing that Chin was watching, Danny came over and sat on the edge Chin's desk. "What are you doing once we're free?"

"Taking my kids to the zoo."

Kono eyes grew wide. "All eight?"

"Yes."

"You're brave," Danny stated. "I don't know if watching a bunch monkeys play would count as a day off in my book."

"Whose da monkeys? Da animals or da kids?" Kono joked.

"Very funny," Chin replied. "If you keep this up I will tell Lin that the two of you volunteered to take the kids while we go out."

That quieted the two detectives but not before their conversation had attracted the attention of the fourth member, and head, of their unit. Steve McGarrett was standing next to Jenny's desk with his hands on his hips and an amused look on his face. "I can see that you all are working hard out here."

Danny slid off the edge of Chin's desk and slammed the large pile of paper down in front of his boss. "Done, Steve."

Steve raised an eyebrow as he looked suspiciously at his second-in-command. "You seem to be a hurry to leave."

"The sun is shining and the surf looks great. Why shouldn't I be eager for an afternoon off?"

"Who's the girl?"

Kono laughed. "Steve's got ya number, Danny."

"Just someone I met playing tennis," Danny explained. "I have reservations at nice place on the beach for one."

Steve shook his head. "Why am I not reassured?"

"No worries," Danny assured his boss. "It's Chin who's crazy. He's taking all eight kids to the zoo."

Steve looked over at Chin who shrugged and said, "I promised Tilda we'd go."

After glancing nervously at his watch, Danny looked up at Steve hopefully. "Can we leave now?"

"I don't know, Danno," Steve stalled. "I can think of a couple more things…"

"_Steve_!"

"Go." Steve said with a wave of his hand.

Without needing anymore permission, the young detective raced from the room and those left behind chuckled at Danny's exuberance. Chin looked down at his desk and noticed a set of keys that weren't his. He picked them up and asked, "I wonder how long it'll take before Danny realizes he doesn't have his keys?"

* * *

><p>Closing the door behind him, Kono let out a contented sigh of relief as he plopped down on a couch. He was tired, very tired. The long hours of the past week added to his inability to sleep during the few spare moments he had meant that Kono had been running on empty for the past few days. The fact that some crooks would try and frame his friend had simply enraged the Hawaiian and left him unable to calm his racing mind enough to sleep.<p>

For if Chin Ho Kelly, the most honorable kind-hearted man that Kono had the privilege of calling friend, could be accused of being a crooked cop then anyone could.

Kono told himself that it was over. Forget the fact that they had almost lost. Forget that he and Steve had almost come to blows after exchanging harsh words, forget that they played loose with the law to bring Calhao to justice.

But how could Kono ever forget? The events of the past week would be engrained in his memory forever.

Closing his eyes, Kono leaned into the couch cushions and tried to think of something else and his thoughts landed on his friend and co-worker Danny Williams. A grin spread across Kono's face as he remembered how the red-raced detective had returned to the office to look for his misplaced car keys. While chuckling at his friend's embarrassment, Kono was also amazed that Danny had the much energy left in him. Danny must really like that wahine he was meeting for lunch.

To tell the truth, Kono thought Danny was pupule for going out on a date and Chin too for taking his kids to the zoo! But then again Chin was pupule for having eight kids. A good long nap, that's what any sane person would want to do after a busy week.

Just as Kono decided that he should get up and change out of his work clothes so he could take his nap, his exhausted body succumbed to the temptations of his comfy couch as the blissful state of sleep claimed him.

* * *

><p>Chin returned to a noisy house. He had barely taken two steps into the living room when Thomas and Gabriel, aged eight and ten, raced toward him talking exciting about which animals they were going to see first. Amy, age six, and Maria, age eleven, waved at their father and then turned their attention back to the television. Chin could hear the sound of the record player blaring from another room where fifteen year old Alia was listening to her new album. As Chin moved into the kitchen, he walked past a firmly closed door which told him that his oldest son, also fifteen, was on the phone. In the kitchen, three year old Tilda called his name in-between bits of her lunch as the thirteen year old Susie banged together the dishes she was washing. In the middle of it all was the wonderful woman that Chin had the privilege of calling wife, who was calmly feeding Tilda while directing Susie with the dishes and rebuking the young boys for running in her kitchen.<p>

There was no doubt about it; Lin Kelly was the master of the Kelly household.

Leaning over, Chin gave Lin a peck on the check which his wife returned and then gave Tilda her last mouthful of lunch. Once freed from her highchair, Tilda hugged her Daddy and chattered excitingly about the promised trip to the zoo.

Looking at his wife, the two of them came to an unspoken agreement. Lin would round up the younger Kelly children while Chin got the more difficult task of convincing the teenagers to get ready.

Susie was easy as she already had her shoes on and seemed to be in a pleasant enough mood even though it had been her turn to wash the dishes. Susie was not the teenager that Chin was worried about. Nor, thankfully, was Alia much of a problem. While she didn't look pleased at the idea of spending the day surrounded by her younger siblings, she had only rolled her eyes when Chin told her to turn off the music and get ready. Rolling eyes Chin could deal with; he had plenty of experience of that with his eldest child.

Nine months older than Alia, Tim was the epitome of a moody teenager who was starting to chafe against the perceived constraints placed upon him by his parents. Chin shook his head as he thought about what he was going to do with his oldest. Maybe he was being too easy on the boy by allowing him to spend long hours on the phone with his friends but Chin wanted Tim to grew into his own man. As a result, Chin hadn't placed more restrictions on Tim as he started to show signs of wanting independence even though it inevitably created conflict in the Kelly household.

Chin braced himself for another round of that conflict as he walked over to Tim's closed bedroom door and knocked. "Tim, are you ready?"

Chin heard a few murmured words and the hanging up of a phone and then the sound of feet stomping over to the door before it opened. Tim was ready but his face was surly as he said, "I don't understand why I have to go."

"Tim, we already discussed this. We're going to spend some time together as a family."

"Why, just so you can make up for all the times you're never home?"

The force in Tim's words hit Chin hard. He knew that his job was demanding and took away from his family but it hurt that Tim couldn't see that he did for him, for all of them. "You're coming. That's my final word."

Tim's eyes darkened but the teenager knew that he wasn't going to win this battle. "I'm ready."

"Go help your mother with your brothers."

As Tim stormed off, Chin started to think of a few crooks that were easier to handle than his oldest son. But what could he do? Tim was a teenager and conceived that he knew everything better than his parents. Chin told himself that it was a phase that his son would grow out of but it didn't make it any easier on him or Lin.

By the time Chin managed to sneak away and change out of his work clothes, Lin had gotten the rest of the children ready and as a family they piled into their van and drove to the Honolulu Zoo.

Once at the zoo it took Chin, Lin and the three teenagers working together to get everyone out of the van and through the ticket line in one piece. However, after all the kids were inside the anticipation that was making them difficult to handle turned into pure joy at the sight of flamingos and monkeys and an elephant! Sure Tim was still surly and Alia was paying more attention to the few teenage boys walking around but Amy's laughter and Maria's and Gabriel's explanations of things he learned about the different animals from school was making the trip the fun family outing that Chin was hoping that it would be.

"I can't see!" Tilda called out when they reached another exhibit. Reaching down, Chin picked up his youngest and directed her attention to a couple of tortoises sleeping in the grass.

Several minutes passed and Thomas was beginning to get restless. "I want to see the snakes!"

Figuring it wasn't it wasn't worth a public scene, Chin and Lin gathered up the rest of their children and made their way towards the Reptile House.

Ushering the children inside the Reptile House they discovered that there was only one snake, a Burmese python, but the younger kids loved seeing it along several other frogs and lizards. Amy in her excitement to look into another glass window accidently bumped into another girl her age.

"Watch it," snapped an older woman as she laid a protective hand on what Chin assumed was her granddaughter.

"S...sorry," Amy mumbled.

The woman looked down her nose at Amy who was so disturbed by the woman's rudeness that she backed away and hid behind Chin's legs. The woman glare didn't lessen once Amy had backed off and instead traveled up to the face of her father. Recognition dawned on her and the woman scowled at Chin and she spat, "Humph. I shouldn't have expected any better from the daughter of a crooked cop."

Chin forced a wave of anger down as the woman grabbed her granddaughter and moved to the other side of the room. He shouldn't let the woman's words bother him. He told himself that the truth wouldn't come out until the evening paper but it didn't help. People would remember the accusations but not the acquittal. He thought this whole mess over. Was too much to ask when it would all end?

Lin came over and wrapped one arm around her now trembling daughter and placed a comforting hand on her husband's shoulder and whispered, "It doesn't matter. Don't let what other people say bother you."

"It's okay," Chin said and let his wife take charge of Amy.

But Chin wasn't okay, not if he was being honest with himself. The accusations hurt him more than he let on, more then he dared let Steve or even his wife know.

Tilda let out a gasp in his arms as the lizard she was looking at moved, obvious to the goings on around her. Chin smiled at his daughter. In her eyes he was not judged based on whether he was a great detective or a crooked cop; in Tilda's eyes he was just Daddy and she loved him unconditionally for that. Lin was right, his family accepted and loved him, let the world think what they will.

Now if only Chin could convince his heart what his head already knew.

Lost in his thoughts, Chin missed a group of four men walk into the building and spread out so that they stood in front of the exits. They weren't looking at the animals but at the people as if sizing them up for something. Even the signals they exchanged went unnoticed until the man in the middle of the room brought out a gun and fired two shots into the ceiling.

The crowd screamed and starting to push towards the doors but the other men were also armed and refused to let anyone out. Chin yelled at his family to freeze and shoved Tilda into Tim's arms. "Hold her."

Tim's eyes grew wide and he opened his mouth to say something but the detective didn't have time to answer his son's questions. He keep a careful eye on the gunmen to make sure his actions were hidden from view as he took out his .38 from a hidden holster and grabbed some bullets. However, he was only able to load a single bullet into the chamber before one of the gunmen began to order the crowd to sit with their backs against the wall. Chin had to rush to hide the gun to keep the gunmen from noticing it while making sure his family followed the lead gunman's orders.

Knowing they had to play along for now and wait for an opening, Chin was relieved to see his family sitting down. He was closest to the middle of the room, with the grandmother and her daughter seated on his right, next to a couple with their young son. His daughter Tilda sat beside him with her arms tightly wrapped around his torso, looking like she was going to burst into tears at any moment. Chin looked across her at Tim, whose eyes burned with anger, looking like he was just waiting for an opportunity to fight back. He knew he would have to keep a close eye on his son. He glanced across the row of his daughters. Maria, beside Tim, was sitting with her knees brought up underneath her chin, her face clearly showing her fear, while Susie's face was pale but determined. Amy was clearly too afraid to speak and had silent tears running down her cheeks. He was thankful that she was next to Lin, who had one arm wrapped around her granddaughter. To anyone but Chin, Lin's face would have given no hint as to her emotions, but after seventeen years of marriage the two of them knew each other better than they knew themselves. Lin had gone beyond mad. In this mood she was cold, calculating, and would do whatever was necessary to save her children. On Lin's other side sat Thomas and Gabriel, too shocked to move or do anything but stare, and Alia, closest to the door, looking both mad and frightened, helping Lin keep a close eye on her younger brothers.

Fifteen hostages, ten of them children, eight of those children were his own.

Even though Chin was a cop he couldn't stop being a father as he worried over how to keep all his family safe. They didn't deserve this, to see the dark underside of Hawaii that he dealt with everyday. He wanted to jump up and fight those who dared to threaten the ones he loved.

But Chin didn't because even though he was a father he couldn't stop being a cop and the cop in him knew what he wanted to do would only get his family killed. It was with that knowledge in mind that he broke his gaze away from his family and studied the situation with a detective's eye.

There were four gunmen and, aside from barking out orders, they had given the hostages no clue as to who they were or what they wanted. However, from watching them the detective could make a few professional observations: they were young, Caucasian, college-aged, and from their clothes Chin could tell that had access to some wealth. They made no attempts to hide their appearance and they seemed to defer to the tall black haired man who stood only a few paces away from Chin.

A bunch of rich college radicals with a cause was Chin's educated guess.

The good news was that meant that these weren't hardened criminals but radicals with a cause could be just as if not more dangerous, especially if they were willing to die for that cause.

The earlier gunshots meant that those on the outside knew what was going on inside the Reptile House and it would only be a matter of time before Five-O and HPD would arrive. The gunmen were clearly waiting for the cops to show up and when they did Chin knew they would make their move.

The odds were stacked against all of his family making it out unharmed but Chin had his gun and even though it was loaded with only one bullet, he would not let these men hurt any of his children, not without a fight. He would die to keep them safe.

Chin just hoped that it would be enough.

* * *

><p>The piles of paperwork forgotten, Steve leaned back in the chair and engaged in the one indulgence he granted himself in the office: playing his guitar. After a hectic week, Steve found comfort in his music and in the fact that a good detective and better man could enjoy time-off with his family without the threat of disgrace hanging over his head. Plus, Five-O was a better unit with Chin Ho Kelly in it and Chin wasn't going anywhere soon.<p>

Steve switched to another chord and let a smile spread across his face; he loved to play and didn't get the opportunity nearly enough. However, the gentle relaxation of the moment was soon broken by harsh ringing of the telephone. "McGarrett."

As Steve listened to the report on the other end his face hardened and worry flickered in his eyes. But always the professional, Steve's voice was steady as he ordered, "Contact the rest of my team and have them meet me there."

* * *

><p>As Danny looked across the table at his date he wondered what he had ever done to deserve her. Jane was sweet, funny, and had a heart of gold. Kono had teased him about her money and no one was more shocked them him to find that it really hadn't affected their relationship.<p>

Jane was beautiful both in appearance and heart and Danny knew that this was a woman he wanted to have a relationship with. So after they had both ordered their meals, Danny looked into Jane's eyes and asked, "What would you like to do? The day is yours."

Jane blushed. "Danny, you're too sweet."

Danny smiled as he considered a couple of romantic possibilities to suggest but his smile was quickly wiped from his face when he noticed a HPD officer approach his table.

_One day! Was it too much to ask to have one day without having to worry about whatever the latest crisis happened to be? If this was for anything less than Iolani Palace burning down he was going not going to mince words the next time he spoke to Steve._

Before Danny could ask what the problem was, the officer rapidly stated, "There's a situation at the zoo. Some nut jobs took a roomful of visitors hostage. Including a bunch of kids."

Danny's bad mood instantly disappeared and was replaced with worry as the worst case scenario immediately leapt into his mind. _Chin!_

Looking back at Jane, Danny wished that he could stay but even if Chin and his family were safe there was no choice. Danny knew where his duty was.

"Sorry," Danny said while opening his wallet to lay down some bills for the food and the taxi.

Jane put her hand firmly over his wallet. "Don't worry about it." Then leaning in she gave him a slight peck on the check and whispered as she pulled back. "Be safe."


	2. Chapter 2

_AN: Mahalo nui loa to Lady Oscar, who is very familiar with the Honolulu Zoo, for letting me pick her brain about the smallest of details (in addition to some bigger ones as well). Her knowledge was invaluable in the writing of this chapter._

**Chapter Two: Risking it All**

_Edited by traw_

As Kono brought his car to a halt he screeched the tires of car in a way that would have made McGarrett proud if the situation wasn't so serious. He jumped out of the car and jogged into zoo, using his badge to clear a way through the crowds of people and media that were crawling all over the place.

After exchanging words with a few of the HPD men on the scene, Kono made his way to the Reptile House. It didn't look like Steve, Danny, or Chin were there yet but Kono noticed Sergeant Duke Lukela ordering the HPD men to form a barrier around the building.

"Duke!"

Duke turned and waved the Five-O detective over. "Can't take two steps without tripping over the press."

"Steve's not gonna like dat." Kono stated before turning his mind to the task at hand. "What do we know?"

"Not much," Duke confused. "Witnesses heard two gunshots at 1:17 from inside the Reptile House. Looking through the windows on the front and rear doors we can see one man guarding each door but the enclosures block us from seeing the hostages or any more gunmen that might be in the room."

Kono grabbed a pair of binoculars and confirmed the information while Duke continued, "The gunmen haven't made any demands yet nor have we tried to establish contact."

"Okay, where are da witnesses?"

"Over there." Duke pointed to a roped off area next to a hotdog stand where a crowd of people were being interviewed by the media.

_Great more reporters,_ Kono thought as he walked over to where Duke pointed. He was forced to push a cameraman out of the way who looked like he was going to complain until Kono pulled out his badge. "Kalakaua, Hawaii Five-O. Interviews can wait. Turn off da cameras and back up."

Several groans broke out but the detective was not in a patient mood. "Now!" he ordered. Once the reporters obeyed, Kono addressed the crowd. "I was told ya heard the gunshots, is dat right?"

"Yes," several people answered as more nodded in the affirmative.

"Did anyone see people enter right before da shots?"

The crowd was silent. "Anyone?" Kono asked again. "Any detail no matter how small could help." When it didn't appear that anyone would answer the detective looked around at the crowd and was drawn to an employee standing behind the hotdog stand. "You, did you see anything? Your stand looks right at da Reptile House."

The hotdog seller looked surprised by the question. "Hundreds of people walk into that building every day. How am I supposed remember them all?"

"Anyone ya remember could help."

The man appeared to think for moment before answering, "Sorry."

As Kono begin to walk away the hotdog seller called out, "Wait, I do remember something. There was a Chinese family. Really large, I guess that's why I noticed them."

Kono heart stopped in his chest as he knew only one large Chinese family and they had told him earlier that they were planning on coming to the zoo today; this couldn't be a coincidence. He took a deep breath to keep his nerves steady as he knew he couldn't give any hint of worry to these people, especially since he didn't trust that all of those cameras were turned off. "Describe them."

"A husband, wife and a lot of kids."

"How many kids?"

"I didn't count, at least six, I guess."

"Anything else?"

"No, sorry."

"Thank you." Kono tried to keep his face emotionless as walked back to the police barrier, ignoring several microphones that were shoved in his face. Each step sent a jolt of worry and fear through his body. Hadn't Chin dealt with enough problems lately?

Kono struggled to keep tears from flowing but that struggle must have been visible to those who knew him best for when Steve and Danny, who were currently being briefed by Duke, saw him they immediately turned their attention toward the Hawaiian.

"Kono, what is it?" Steve asked softly.

"A witness saw a large Chinese family go inside right before da shots."

The reactions were immediate: Danny's face went white, Duke looked down and started murmuring a prayer, and Steve's eyes' darkened as his hands formed into fists. Around them a large crowd watched from behind the police barrier with cameras capturing every second.

Steve broke the silence with a rare moment of weakness. "Oh, God." Then as if realizing his duty, Steve straightened and became strictly professional. "I think we can safely assume that Chin is inside with his family."

"Chin will go berserk before he lets those guys touch his kids." Danny said.

"I know," Steve stated. "But if Chin loses his cool it will only make things worse."

A loud voice called out, "Are you telling me that crooked cop is in there?"

Kono immediately turned around and noted that a reporter had snuck past the police barrier and was standing next to them. "He's not a…!"

Before Kono could finish Steve grabbed the Hawaiian's arm and pulled him away from the intruder. Then Steve stated calmly and firmly, "One: Detective Kelly has been cleared of all charges. Call the Attorney General's office if they haven't sent out the press release yet. Two: we don't know if the gunmen have radios with them. So if you breathe one word about there being a cop inside and it causes us to lose the one advantage we have, I will hold you responsible for every child that dies. Clear?"

The reporter nodded vigorously. "Now get back behind the barrier," Steve snapped.

Once the reporter was gone, Steve turned his ire towards his Hawaiian detective. "What were you thinking?"

Furious, Kono shot back, "It's not right, Boss. Chin's not like dat."

"I don't care what he said; we've got enough problems without you losing your cool. Now go find a manager or someone who can give the plans to that building."

Admonished, Kono hurried toward the administration buildings knowing the quicker he found what Steve wanted the better chance they'd have of getting all of the hostages out unharmed.

* * *

><p>Fifteen hostages sat in silence as the reptiles mostly slept, oblivious to the tense situation that surrounded them. Three gunmen stood solemnly guarding their posts: two the exits, one the hostages. The fourth gunman was getting impatient as he started to pace back and forth in front of the hostages, occasionally checking with the other gunman as to the situation outside.<p>

Chin wished he could have a hint of what was going on outside but the setup of room only gave him a clear view of the animals across from him. When the pacing gunman passed them again, Tilda cringed back in fear and started to sob.

The pacing gunman stopped and waved his gun at them as he yelled, "Shut her up or she's the first to go."

Chin heard gasps from several of his daughters as he used his left hand to grab Tim who was about to jump the man. "Don't."

Tim glared daggers at his father. "Do something."

"Trust me," Chin hissed and didn't let go until his son backed down. Then turning his attention to his crying daughter, the father picked her up and rocked her in his arms as he whispered, "Shush, Tilda. It'll be okay. Daddy will make everything better. I need you to be a brave girl and be quiet. Can you be Daddy's brave little princess?" Slowly, Chin's words began to have an effect on the toddler as her sobs turned to hiccups and eventually to silence.

It didn't escape Chin's thoughts that it was going to extremely difficult was him to act in a way that would help the police forces gathering outside if Tilda remained in his arms. But he doubted that the gunmen would let him pass her down to her mother nor did he think that it would help; Tilda had been a Daddy's girl from birth.

Noticing that the same gunman was still watching him, Chin decided to take a risk. "Look, can you tell us what this is about?"

"Quiet, man. You think you a big cop or something? I don't want to hear a word from you, fatso, or anyone else." The man waved his gun at the line of frightened captives before placing it against Chin's temple. "Have I made myself clear?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Chin could see Tim tense but, thankfully he remained still, and the rest his family allowed various expression of fear to show on their faces while Amy looked away, unable to watch.

Slowly, Chin nodded and satisfied the gunman walked over to his colleague guarding the entrance.

To his family and the other hostages, the detective kept a calm demeanor but inside he was beginning to get very worried as the lead gunman's short temper didn't bode well for them at all.

* * *

><p>Steve's mind raced as he considered their predicament. This situation was unthinkable. Not only was one of men and his family being threatened, it was the very same man he had risked his job for last night. Last night, when he had taken the biggest risk of his career in order to save Chin from disgrace. When he had come very close to crossing the line by ordering his men to fire at Calhao. Or did he cross it? Was this his punishment? How much further would he go now that it was the lives of Chin and his family that were at risk?<p>

Steve didn't know if he wanted to know the answers to these questions.

"Steve," Danny said, handing his boss a bullhorn. "We've got men ready to storm the building in case negotiations go sour."

"Right. Let's see what these guys want."

But before Steve could begin to attempt to speak with the gunmen the door partially opened and a voice shouted from within, "Hey, any fuzz out there?"

Raising the bullhorn to his lips, Steve replied, "This is Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O."

"Look, Mr. Big Fuzz, I don't care who you think you are but I have fifteen hostages in here that I'll start shooting if I don't get what I want. And I won't make a distinction between children or adults."

Steve bit down an angry retort and stated firmly, "I won't negotiate with someone who threatens children."

"That's your problem not mine."

"Let the children go. The adults can serve as hostages and then we'll talk."

"Oh no, Mr. Big Talk Fuzz, what you want you don't get. Not until I get what I want."

"Who am I talking to?"

"A concerned citizen of this planet, one of many who are concerned about the overdevelopment of our land, the killing off of endangered animals and plants just so a bunch of tourists can have fun and not care about the mass destruction they leave in their wake."

Getting more than a little frustrated, Steve tried reason, "You're endangering the lives of a few animals right now by holding a bunch of hostages in the middle of the zoo."

"Oh, so you're Mr. Logical Fuzz now? Well here are some facts for you to chew on. Did you know that there are more endangered plants and animals per square mile in Hawaii than anywhere else in the world? So, yes, I put the lives of these innocent reptiles at risk so if we fail they will serve as martyrs for the thousands of creatures we destroy everyday without a second thought."

Putting down the bullhorn, Steve looked over at his second-in-command. "What do think, Danno?"

Danny shook his head in disgust. "He's fanatic and more over he's convinced he's right. Notice how he changes what he calls you based on how you respond. He's trying to define you, to prove to you that he's the one in charge of the situation here."

Trusting Danny's psychological analysis, Steve had to ask, "Do you think he'll kill if he doesn't get what he wants?"

Taking a deep breath, Danny answered, "Yes."

Steve didn't display any emotion; he just turned his attention back on the Reptile House and continued his conversation with a man who would kill the children of a man he thought of as family without a second thought. "Why don't you tell me what this is about?"

"There is a piece of undeveloped land on the windward side of Oahu that has been a refugee for the plants and animals of this land to grow and live without human interference for centuries. Now the government has sold off the land to build the IkehuPower Plant without a thought for the creatures that live there. This wanton destruction of the land must stop!

"My demands are threefold. First, Governor Jameson must sign an order banning the construction of the IkehuPower Plant. Second, he needs to make that land a state preserve. Third, he must pardon us for any actions we have done or may have to do to get you to comply to these demands."

Privately, Steve was raging. These demands were outrageous and impossible! There was no way that he was going to let these fanatics get off without any consequence for their actions! However, the pardon demand did give him an opening. "The Governor can't grant pardons without knowing the names of those he pardoning."

"Oh, Mr. Tricky Fuzz, I don't think so. Once Jameson signs an order that the banning the building of the IkehuPower Plant, makes the land a state preserve, and publically states his intentions of pardoning us _then_ we will give you our names."

Realizing that he was at an impasse, Steve lowered the bullhorn and shook his head. "This guy isn't dumb, Danno."

"He's definitely thought things through," Danny agreed. "He was expecting you to try and trick him."

Knowing he had no other choice, Steve turned to Duke and ordered, "Get me the Governor."

No deals.

No deals.

That was Steve's mantra. He lived by those words. But today he was tempted. Today, he would make a deal in an instant to save the lives of those inside if believed that it would be kept. But that was the catch. How could he trust the words of monsters who threatened the lives of children?

Duke jogged back over. "The Governor's on the line."

Steve followed the HPD Sergeant over to the communications van that HPD had brought over and picked up a mike, "Governor, what have you heard?"

"The media carried your whole conversation live on the television."

Steve stopped himself from saying an inappropriate word; while he recognized that the presence of the media was inventible it didn't mean that he enjoyed having a very difficult and volatile situation broadcast live throughout the islands. "Have they mentioned anything about who the hostages are?"

"No, why?"

"Sir, we have strong evidence that suggests that ten of the hostages are Chin Ho Kelly and his family."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Kelly's a good man. But, Steve, even if I was inclined to give this nut job what he wants, what he's demanding is impossible. That power plant required several layers of government approval; I can't simply overturn that with a stroke of a pen even if I wanted to."

"I know that, Sir."

"Any ideas on how to handle this?"

"None yet. The problem is what you heard on the television is most of what we know. We need more information before we can proceed. Is it possible to you act like you have the authority to give him what he wants to at least get the children out of there?"

"I can't fake those pardons and I don't think he's going to give up any of his leverage without them."

"Unfortunately, I have to agree with you."

"I trust you, Steve." Governor paused on the other end of the line and then added, "Do what you need to and may God help us all."

Steve set down the mike and used the privacy of the van to put his head in his hands. The fact that Jameson had just given his blessing to use force if necessary was of little comfort. Without knowing the ages of all the children inside there was no way he could use tear gas without risking lives and a gun battle in a room full of children, he would have to be insane to entertain such a option. But with each second that passed by it was looking more and more likely that force would be their only option.

If only there was some way that Steve could sneak Danno and a couple sharpshooters inside…

Speaking of that building, why was Kono taking so long with those plans?

There was another call and Steve let Duke handle it. The frustrated detective was about to exit the van when Duke called out, "Steve, I think you need to take this call."

Steve let Duke hand over the mike and said, "This is McGarrett."

"Mr. McGarrett, my name is Adam Gios. I'm the owner of the future IkehuPower Plant."

"Thank you for calling, Mr Gios. Can you give us any insight into this situation?"

"Yes. I recognize the voice of the man making demands. He's been trying to convince me to stop the project for months."

"And you didn't report him?"

"Mr. McGarrett, you must understand, it's my son, Adam Gios III."

"I understand that this must be difficult for you, Mr. Gios, but I need any information you can give me on your son and his ecological activities. Do you know who the other people in there with him are?"

"I don't know their names but he fell in with a group of kids at school who call themselves 'Defenders of the Land.' They seem to think that the tourist industry is responsible for the overdevelopment of the land."

"What school is that?"

"The University of Hawaii."

"Wait a minute." Steve put down the mike and ordered, "Duke, I need you to get on the horn and have some of HPD's detectives head over to the University of Hawaii and dig up what they can on Adam Gios III and a group called the 'Defenders of the Land.' And ran a background check on Gios through the computer and see if anything turns up."

When Duke moved to follow the orders, Steve continued "Does your son have any history of violence or mental illness?"

"No."

"Does your son have any experience with weapons?"

"Yes, we used to hunt together when he was younger before he decided that the killing of animals was evil."

Steve thanked Gios for calling and headed back toward the Reptile House. As the detective walked, he couldn't help but be struck by the fact that if only the younger Gios believed that killing people was just as evil as he believed killing animals to be then they wouldn't be in this predicament.

* * *

><p>Each second seemed like an eternity as Chin waited among the hostages. As the situation prolonged, he was slowly driving himself mad by trying to keep a close eye on all of his family and the four gunmen in the room.<p>

Hearing Steve's voice should have been a comfort but Chin knew too much about situations like these and was very aware that the negotiations weren't going well. The gunmen's demands were completely out of the realm of possibilities and Steve would never let these fanatics get off with a pardon. However, the problem was the leader was too clever by half; Steve had tried several tricks to get more information out of the gunmen that Chin had seen work in the past but this guy didn't fall for any of them. The gunman was stubbornly persistent in stating that things would be done his way and the detective knew that Steve was just as stubborn in his belief of 'no deals' with hostage takers.

So which stubborn personality would blink first?

If the gunmen starting shooting, Steve would act not deal. The only hope for this to be resolved peacefully was for Steve to pull off some trick but with the way the lead gunman had seen through Steve's verbal tricks the likelihood of this happening was not good.

If Steve recognized this, and Chin knew that he would, the only option would be for Five-O and HPD to move in and disarm or kill the gunman before they starting killing the hostages; an extremely risky proposition that would put the lives of everyone in the Reptile House in peril.

Chin told himself that he needed to be strong but the hopelessness of the situation was threatening to overwhelm him. He would do anything to protect his family but if this situation became violent he would be powerless to protect them from harm.

For what could one bullet do against a bunch of fanatics who were willing to kill children to get what they wanted?

* * *

><p>Danny had been circling the Reptile House looking for locations where he could possibly get a sightline into the building and use the rifle he had strapped to his back. He had just returned to the front of the building when Gios restarted his conversation with Steve.<p>

"Hey, Mr. Slowpoke Fuzz, you making any progress out there?"

"These things take time, Mr. Gios."

Danny could hear Gios growl. "It seems to me, Mr. Thinks He's So Smart Fuzz, that you're spending your time doing the wrong things. Do I need to encourage you to start being a little more productive?"

Steve ignored the last jab and said, "I just got off the phone with your father. It seems to me that you're biting the hand that feeds you. It's your father's power plants that pay for your college education and for you to spend your time with your little group."

"I don't need my old man nor his blood money that comes from the raping of our planet! It is only through standing against the destruction of this land that I begin to amend for my father's sins!"

The force in Gios' words chilled Danny to the bone. He was very glad that Steve was handling all the negotiations because he doubted that he would be able to keep a civil tone when talking with this lunatic.

"Amazing, isn't it, Mr. Big Fuzz? How far a person will go to safe a human life, but in the next instance squash an ant under his foot without a second thought. We place so much value on ourselves and so little on the animals that make up this world. I've a little Chinese girl in here, can't be any older than three. It'd be a shame if I had to kill her."

Danny's heart stopped. _Tilda!_

"Do I need to make my point?"

"Not necessary, you're point has been made," Steve replied his voice terse. "I'm calling the Governor now but we need some time to get this approved."

"Time. You cops always want time. Time to set something up, time to get out of doing what I want you to. Why should I give you time?"

"I need to contact the Governor. He will need to meet with his advisors. Then we have to set up the media…"

"Shouldn't you have done that already?"

"Governor Jameson's a busy man. I haven't been able to get a hold of him yet."

"Twenty minutes. And no funny business. Try anything and no one makes it out of here alive."

Danny saw Steve's jaw clench as the elder man answered, "Twenty minutes isn't enough."

"Your problem, not mine. Have Jameson make his announcement within twenty minutes or I'll start shooting."

Steve lowered the bullhorn. The ultimatum had been given and now every second was precious. The detective's eyes went cold as he turned and faced Danny and Duke. "So twenty minutes."

"Steve," Kono shouted. "I got Manager Fowler and the plans."

The three detectives and Duke gathered around a small table and watched as the Zoo Manager unrolled the plans. "As you see there are only three entrances," Fowler said, pointing to make his point care. "The front, back, and service door on the side but it only leads to the area behind the cages."

"Is any way to get from the staff area to the viewing area?" Duke asked.

"Not unless you want to break glass."

Kono grimaced. "And dat would hurt da animals."

"Actually, no. The cages are movable. When you remove a cage the only barrier is the pane of glass."

Steve considered this. "So we could see into the main room…"

"Steve," Danny interrupted, "if I remember correctly the cage area is well lit but the main area is dark. So even if we could move a cage without the gunmen noticing we'd be looking through light into a dark room, at best we'd see shadows."

Fowler nodded, "Your detective is right."

Danny leaned over the map. "What about here."

"Just a vent to help circulate air."

"How big?"

"Not very."

Steve focused on where Danny was pointing. "What do you think, Danno?"

Looking closely at the map, Danny pursed his lips as considered the measurements. "It'll be tight but I think I can get in there. Does it run into the main room?"

"Yes," Fowler said, pointing.

Knowing what his duty would be if could fit into that vent, Danny tried to look at the possibility logically. "The problem is how is how many gunmen are in there. If there are three I can probably take out two before they react and count on Chin to take out the third but it's still a big risk. If there's four or more…"

Danny left the rest of sentence unspoken but Steve knew the odds were not good. "Okay, here's what we are going to do. You get to where you can see into the room."

Steve handed over a walkie-talkie. "Use Morse code. As soon as you get a view let me know how many gunmen are in there and if you have a line of fire. Stay quiet unless all hell breaks loose or you hear me give the signal to open fire. You snipe down as many as you can and I'll have units go through both doors."

"Steve, if one kid dies of friendly fire…"

"They're already dead if we continue to stand here and do nothing."

They both knew that Steve's words were true but they also knew that the press and the public would never see it that way. Nor would they ever forgive themselves if one of the Kelly children died in a firefight. However, they had to take that risk. At that moment Danny wished that he had half of Steve's courage because he wasn't sure that he would have been able to make this call.

"Duke, I want you to gather two teams of five men willing to rush that building. You'll lead the team that takes the front; Kono will lead the team that takes the back. I want everyone in vests. I'll talk to Gios and see if I can get him to back down but if I fail speed is the only thing that will save the people inside."

Steve looked like a man who had made the hardest decision of his life but his eyes were full of trust and determination as he placed on hand on Danny's shoulder. "Shoot fast and accurate and trust in Chin. I don't see these guys backing down."

"Right, Steve," Danny answered as he gripped his rifle.

Kono patted him on the back as he walked off. "Good luck, Bruddah."

"Mahalo. I'm going to need it."

Danny grabbed Fowler and together they jogged around to the side of building, veering wide so that the gunmen couldn't see them approach. Obeying, Danny's nod, Fowler unlocked the door and the two of them quietly entered the staff area.

Danny spotted the vent above the back of the third cage from the entrance. He motioned for Fowler to help him move two chairs over so that they could remove the grate from the wall. Handing over his rifle, Danny hosted himself up into the vent, his shoulders protesting at the tight fit. Once inside, Danny gestured for Fowler to pass up his rifle. Then slowly but surely Danny inched forward, knowing that a single sound would mean death for those on the other side of the wall.

Somehow, Danny made it the few feet required without making a sound. Looking through the grate, he immediately spotted Chin and his family sitting against the far wall with five other hostages. Worry coursed through Danny's mind, he had known that the odds were high that Chin was a hostage but having that good chance become a certainty raised the pressure the young detective placed upon himself; he'd never forgive himself if he missed and hit one of Kelly kids.

Then remembering the rest of his task, Danny spotted two gunmen below him; one keeping a close guard on the hostages and the other murmuring to himself and studying his watch. Danny saw a third near the entrance looking out and when he studied the exit he could just see the head of a fourth. Fiddling with the grate so that the vents were fully open, Danny knew he could hit three of the four gunmen if they stayed in their places. Mentally going through the motions, Danny knew he's have to hope Chin could take care of the gunman closet to him which left Danny with the one guarding the hostages, who would have to go first, and the gunman at the entrance.

As Danny reported in to Steve, he couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong with this plan. To put it simply, they were risking it all on a hope and a prayer.

Ten minutes.


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. I'm leaving on vacation tomorrow so it may be awhile before I'm able to respond to signed reviews._

**Chapter Three: Redemption **

_Edited by traw_

Steve was never a man to remain behind while others did the dirty work. So it drove the detective nuts that he needed to remain near the barrier to talk with Gios while Danny and Kono moved into the position to take the building if it became necessary.

Relentlessly, the detective's mind paced as he considered what words he would say to make Gios back down. Failure was not an option for Steve would never forgive himself if he was unable to stop the murder of fifteen innocents.

To the cameras, Steve looked a man in control: calm and composed. But only Steve knew how hard it was to maintain that illusion while the bearing the burden of the lives of men, women, and children on his shoulders.

Sneaking a peek at his watch, Steve reminded himself that he had done everything he could; he had placed his men where their talents would be the most help, expect for one. But he couldn't help but wonder that maybe Chin Ho Kelly was exactly where he needed him to be.

Five minutes.

* * *

><p>The ultimatum was given, and Chin slowly counted down the minutes as he racked his mind for a way to cease being a victim and be helpful if the situation took another turn for the worse.<p>

Taking another glance around the room, Chin noticed something different about one of the vents. Looking closer, he was pretty sure he saw familiar looking sandy curls. After checking to make sure none of the gunmen were watching him, Chin risked another glance up and this time Danny saw him looking.

Danny held up one hand with the fingers spread out and Chin caught the silent question, four? Discreetly, he nodded and Danny made more motions with his hand this time asking if Chin had his gun. When Chin nodded again, Danny signaled for him to be ready. Chin tensed, that sign could only mean one thing: Steve was getting ready to storm the place.

That meant that Steve knew he couldn't give Gios what he was demanding and Chin wasn't surprised. Steve would _never _stand by a bargain that included pardons to the offenders.

Moving quietly, Chin nudged Tim and gestured for him to take Tilda. When his son looked confused he whispered, "Take care of your sister."

Tim looked nervously at the gunmen but obeyed. "Dad, what's happening?"

As Chin studied his son he saw a glimpse of the man he would become as Tim hid his fear behind a mask of determination and strength. In that instant, Chin decided to give his son his trust. "The instant you hear shots, lie flat on the ground. Understand?"

Comprehension dawned as Tim shot back in hushed tones, "Yes, but what about you?"

His father fought against a sudden lump in throat. His independent antagonistic son still cared about him. The rebellious teenage act was nowhere to seen as Tim continued to look at his father with worry in his eyes. "Don't worry about me. Now, make sure everybody else knows what to do."

Tim looked like he wanted to protest but the gravity of the situation made him recognize his responsibility.

Chin remained still as he watched Tim pass on his message and took another glance at the gunmen but their actions were passing unnoticed as they all seemed to be more concerned about a threat from outside. That reassured the detective that they had no idea that Danny was laying in wait above their heads and for the first time since the whole affair had started Chin had hope.

Even though he knew that it would involve more risk, Chin poked the shoulder of the woman seated on his right; he had a duty to warn and protect all of the hostages not just his family. "Ma'am."

The women slowly cocked her head to show that she was listening and Chin quickly whispered the same words he had given his son with orders that she also pass them along. She shot him a skeptical look but followed his suggestion without any protest. It was obvious that she didn't like him but at least she hadn't told the gunmen that there was a "crooked cop" in their midst and Chin was thankful for that.

His task done, the worried father took one more good look at his family praying, that it wouldn't be the last time he saw them alive. Lin's gaze met his and Chin knew that his message had gotten across. His wife's eyes were set and determined but behind the façade Chin could see her fear. It was more than fear for their children, she was looking at him as if she wasn't excepting to see him alive again.

Chin looked away as he couldn't promise that her feelings weren't wrong. He couldn't afford distractions if things broke loose. Forcing himself to become strictly professional, he reached down to his side and grasped his gun, thankful that his guards were convinced that their prisoners posed no threat.

"Time," called one of the unnamed gunmen.

"Be ready," Gios ordered as he moved to where he could shout out at the forces gathered outside. "So, Mr. I-Hope-You've-Been-Productive Fuzz, have my demands been met?"

Steve's response was immediate. "I am giving you one chance, Gios. The Governor cannot legally sign an order to stop the building of Ikehu Power Plant but if you throw down your weapons and come out with your hands up then the governor has agreed to allow an independent review of the ecological impact of building the plant in that area. If that review agrees with your position it would have the power to stop the project."

Chin almost drew his weapon as Gios' face twisted into an expression of fury. "That does nothing and you know it!"

Steve's voice remained calm as he added, "Also, you have to consider the fact that if you don't surrender, you and your men will be killed for no reason and your cause will die with you. So will you surrender and give your cause a chance or stand and die for no reason at all?"

Steve's words allowed for no compromise and had little chance to satisfy the gunmen. However, Chin didn't blame Steve; he was simply speaking the unvarnished truth but he knew that inside his boss was anything but the calm he projected.

"You think I'm buffing!" Gios screamed.

"No, I don't. That's why I'm offering you a man's choice. Will you be a man and take it or will you be a coward who murders children?"

Chin heard gasps from several of the other hostages. McGarrett was playing a dangerous game; he knew that appeals to the man's conscience wouldn't work so he worked on the one thing that would keep a desperate man in an impossible situation – pride.

"Let me talk over your offer with my men," Gios stated; his words hinted at defeat, but what Chin could read of the man's physical bearings warned him that he had no intention of giving up.

However, one of the other gunman must have been concerned by Gios' last statement as he asked, "You aren't going to give in, are you?"

"If we surrender the plant will be built and we'll spend years in prison," another argued.

Gios held up his hand for silence as he stated, "I am tired of that cop's lies. He really thinks he can trick us out."

"So what are we going to do?"

"Give him our answer." Gios replied coldly as he took out his gun and pointed it straight at the little girl Amy had bumped into earlier and prepared to pull the trigger...

Chin didn't stop to think; he just let his instincts take over and responded just like he had many times before. The detective raised his gun, aimed right at the center of the guy's chest, and pulled the trigger. One shot, one hit. He couldn't have afforded it to happen any other way, not with the lives of innocents at stake.

* * *

><p>"Kono."<p>

Kono picked up the walkie-talkie and answered, "Yeah, Boss."

"Just heard from Danny. There are four guys inside. One's right on the other side of your door and Danny doesn't have a line of fire. If we move in you need to take him out as fast as possible."

"Right, Steve."

Kono stood with his back against the Reptile House, standing as close to the exit as possible without being able to be seen by those inside. Minutes passed and he forced himself to be patient as Steve and Gios exchanged words. As the conversation showed that the likelihood of compromise was rapidly approaching the probably of zero, Kono signaled to his men to be ready.

Then, suddenly, Gios said he would consider Steve's offer and the conversation had stopped. However, Kono wasn't convinced of the gunman's sincerity and the prolonged silence only increased the detective's unease. So when Kono heard a gun go off he simply let out a bellow of rage for whoever had died and rammed the door while Steve's voice hollered, "Go."

Through the doors, Kono immediately spotted his target and felt something slam against his chest as he fired his gun. The Hawaiian's shot was true as the gunman fell to the ground and Kono stepped over the body as he moved into the room.

Kono took in the scene in one glance. The hostages were lying flat on the ground as Chin was standing over a body with his gun out. Duke was rushing in with his team but there was nothing left to do; Danny must have successfully taken out the other gunmen.

There was an ache in his chest and when Kono looked down he spotted a bullet buried in his vest right over his heart. Part of his brain acknowledged that he was going to have a nice bruise tomorrow while the rest of it was mulling over the fact that he had again survived a brush with death.

As the hostages slowly got up, hugging and crying with their family members, it dawned on Kono that they had done it. Last night, he had thought that Five-O had beaten the odds when they had saved Chin from disgrace. Now, Kono knew that they had truly pulled off the impossible when he realized that Chin, his family, and the other hostages were safe.

Kono would take a bullet in the chest for that result any day.

* * *

><p>Relief filled Chin as he saw Duke and Kono lead teams that secured the room. But even as movement stirred around him, Chin just found himself unable to move as he stared into the face of a man who would have killed his children without a feeling an ounce of regret.<p>

Duke wondered over and knelt down beside Gios. "Pau," he announced.

That one word released Chin from in ability to move as he grasped onto the fact that this man would never be able to threaten his family again. With that knowledge secured, the father turned to check of his family.

They were all standing, though Lin was now holding Tilda, and the others were gathered together. His children's faces were pale and Gabriel and Thomas were opening staring at him in shock. But that didn't hurt as much as when Amy saw her father looking she moved to hide behind her mother's legs. Of all his children, only Tim met his gaze.

Tears threatened to flow as Chin realized that his children were afraid of him. It was a pain no father should ever have to bear.

_I just killed a man in front of my kids why I am surprised?_

_But I did it for them._

Intellectually, Chin knew that in time his children would realize that their father's job as police officer meant that sometimes he had to kill the bad guys, something the teenagers already knew, but the shock of seeing their father kill was different from knowing that their father sometimes had to shoot and kill people as part of his job.

"Chin," Duke said as he put a hand on Chinese man's shoulder. "Are you okay?"

Chin shook him off. "I'll be fine."

Duke backed off but Chin doubted that he failed to notice that the detective had spoken in the future tense. Though, Chin figured that the Police Sergeant understood. Any police officer knew that their job demanded things that they could never share with their family; Chin had just shown his own children the very things he had sought to shield them from.

It was another burden that he would have to bear.

While Chin was lost in his thoughts, Steve walked into the Reptile House and took charge of the situation. When the two detectives met, they exchanged a look that hinted at the many words left unspoken. "See to your family," Steve ordered in a voice that suggested that there would time for everything else later.

As Chin approached his family, Lin moved swiftly over to her husband and the two embraced, not caring that Tilda was in-between them. As they held one another they didn't have to speak to communicate their worries and fears from having their family serve as hostages and their shared love and silent joy now that everyone was safe.

When Lin pulled back she looked straight into her husband's haunted eyes and understood. She understood just how much it was tearing him up inside to have killed in front of his family and she could see that he was in pain from their children's rejections. But she too knew that in time Chin would find peace. Until that moment arrived, she would continue to be the pillar of support that he consistently relied on.

"Mr. Kelly."

Chin turned and saw the elderly woman and her granddaughter who had been hostages as well. "Yes?" he answered.

The woman had one arm warped protectively around her granddaughter but her face had lost the hard judgmental look and Chin could see a hint of kindness in her eyes that he hadn't seen before. "I just wanted to thank you for saving my granddaughter's life. I was wrong; you are a good cop."

As Chin acknowledged the praise, he felt a weight lift from his soul that he wasn't aware that he had been carrying. The accusations of bribery had cut him deeper than he had ever acknowledged and to hear a stranger affirm his goodness meant that there was hope that the past week wouldn't be what defined his career and reputation.

The Reptile House began to empty as HPD started moving the people outside and Chin helped his wife gather their children and step outside into the sunlight.

The scene they walked into stopped Chin in his tracks. Behind the police barrier was a mass of people all cheering and applauding as the former hostages walked out of the building. Cameras flashed and reporters tried to shout questions over the roar of the crowd.

"Dad."

Chin turned toward the voice of his eldest son, figuring that Tim wanted permission to take advantage of their newfound celebrity status by talking with the media so he could tell his friends that he had been on TV. However, one look at his son's face told Chin that he couldn't have been further from the truth.

"I…I um…" Tim stuttered, struggling to put what he wanted to say into words.

Chin waited silently, knowing from his son's expressions that he dealing with several conflicting emotions and that that the best thing to do was to give him the time he needed. For it was becoming clear that the events inside of the Reptile House had deeply affected the teenager.

"Look, Dad…what I'm trying to say is…" Tim looked away and Chin could see tears rolling down his cheeks. Then, after a moment's pause, Tim met his father's gaze and said, "I love you."

Oblivious to the cameras and mass of humanity surrounding them, father and son embraced. And as a father's tears joined his son's, Chin replied, "I love you too, son."

In that moment nothing else mattered.

* * *

><p>It was late when Danny was finally able to leave the zoo and return home. The detective was grateful beyond belief that all of the hostages were unharmed and Chin's family was safety home. However, his heart was heavy as he had been forced to kill in order to guarantee that safely. He would never understand what had made Gios decide that taking hostages was the right thing to do.<p>

While Gios' thought processes disturbed him, what still bothered Danny was the shameless behavior of the media. Reporters had crowded Chin as he tried to leave the zoo, wanting to interview the hero of the hour when only twenty-four hours before they had clamoring for his arrest!

It wasn't right but there was nothing that he could do about it.

Danny shook his head in frustration as he made sure that his truck with his rifle in it was securely locked. As he walked around to the entrance of his apartment complex he decided that he would call Jane, let her know that he was alright, and apologize for the afternoon. Then he would collapse into bed and sleep for twelve hours.

"Danny!"

Danny recognized Jane's voice and turned to find her standing in the lawn with a picnic basket at her feet. "I heard on the news that the situation was over and I knew that you skipped lunch. I knew that you would need dinner so I made up a basket so we could eat and watch the sun set on the beach."

Suddenly, Danny's weariness was gone as the worries of the day and the past week faded away. "I don't know what to say," Danny replied.

Jane moved so that she was standing directly in front of Danny. "You promised me that the day was mine."

Danny smiled. "So I did."

Then Danny made good on that promise by taking the picnic basket into one hand and Jane's hand in the other and the couple walked towards the beach and the setting sun.

* * *

><p>Darkness descended on Honolulu as many of her residents settled down for the evening, finding peace in the stillness of the night.<p>

But for two individuals that peace was an elusive dream.

One of those troubled individuals climbed the steps of the Iolani Palace to meet the other who was sitting alone in the only room with lights on in the entire building.

It was a scene that was not uncommon even though the participants changed, for all too often it was the people responsible for bringing peace who had the most trouble taking comfort in it.

"Shouldn't you be home?" Steve McGarrett called out as he recognized the person approaching him.

"I could probably ask you the same question," Chin Ho Kelly replied as he entered his boss's office.

Rising from his chair, Steve shook his head. "Chin, you've been through enough…"

"And so have you. So have we all."

"That doesn't explain why you're not with your family. They need their father a lot more than I need my detective right now."

Chin took a deep breath and confessed, "It's one thing knowing your father is a cop and another watching him kill a man. I'm making things easier on Lin by being away from the house at the moment."

Understanding flickered in Steve's eyes as he gestured for them to move out onto the lanai. "I'm sorry, Chin. I should have never let the situation descend to the point where you had to shoot."

"Steve, don't!" Chin ordered. "We both did what we had to do."

Steve nodded. "But it doesn't mean that it was easy."

Chin studied the Honolulu skyline as he pondered Steve's words. "No…no it doesn't." The Chinese detective took a moment to gather his thoughts before continuing, "I think the only thing that kept me sane in that building was knowing that you, Danny, and Kono were outside doing everything you could to get us safely out. You didn't abandon me when the bribery accusations were leveled and the odds said that you should have. So I had no reason to think that anything had changed in twenty-four hours even though the stakes were higher."

"You never should have had to gone through either situation." Steve sighed regretfully as he turned back to his detective. "I would have done anything to have kept you from experiencing either situation."

"It wasn't the accusations that hurt as much as the fact that it seemed like everyone outside of this office believed them," Chin admitted.

Steve countenance darkened and Chin could tell he had struck a nerve. "We live a thankless life. We're dammed if do and dammed if we don't. Yesterday, everyone was demanding your head, today they want to give you a medal. How quickly the world forgets."

The raw character to Steve's words told Chin that there was something upsetting his boss that went beyond the stress of either case. A memory of an answered question from this morning rose in his mind and Chin realized that he needed to know what Steve had tried to keep secret from him. "Steve, why did Calhao confess?"

"We did what we had to." Steve answered softly before he asked, "Do you really want to know?"

"I think I need to."

Steve appeared to debate his answer but once he started speaking the whole story poured out. "We scared him. Convinced him that Brohme was trying to kill him. I had Danno and Kono trash his office and then shoot in his direction until he came running to me for protection. I'm not proud, Chin, but I didn't know of any other way."

Steve's confession shook Chin to his core. If news of this ever got out, Steve, Danny and Kono would all be looking for a different line of work. The rest of the team had been willing to sacrifice their careers to save his.

"Did I cross the line?" Steve asked. "At the time I could think of nothing but would happen if we couldn't clear your name. When Kono figured out that you were a hostage in the Reptile House today, I wondered if it was my punishment for my actions last night."

The depth of honesty in Steve's words demanded an honest answer.

"I've been in this business longer than you, Steve." Chin answered as he looked Steve in the eyes, "And during that time I've seen cops go bad. You're not bad. You want to know why?"

Steve nodded.

"You care. And if it wasn't for your esteem for life and your stubborn insistence to always do the right thing I wouldn't be standing here before you. Thank you."

Silence followed as the two detectives stood in the gentle Hawaiian breeze. They no longer needed to speak because they had discovered, by sharing each other's burdens, they were able to receive the peace that they had been unable to find alone.

PAU


End file.
